{"id":13820,"date":"2020-09-21T13:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-09-21T17:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.theseventhstate.com\/?p=13820"},"modified":"2020-10-31T13:17:25","modified_gmt":"2020-10-31T17:17:25","slug":"nine-districts-blasts-council-on-south-lake-elementary-school","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.theseventhstate.com\/?p=13820","title":{"rendered":"Nine Districts Blasts Council on South Lake Elementary School"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Adam Pagnucco.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nine Districts for MoCo, the group that put a charter amendment on the ballot converting the county council to a nine district structure, has released a video blasting the council for its decision to delay completion of a new building for South Lake Elementary School. The school, located in Gaithersburg, was the subject of a WTOP article<\/a> describing heat and air conditioning problems, crowding and rodents running free inside the building. Community members have asked for a new school for years and MCPS has described the building\u2019s problems as \u201cinsurmountable.\u201d<\/a> MCPS requested funding for a new building, which the council approved, but the council delayed completion by one year to September 2024<\/a> due to fiscal problems. The school board has since asked the council to restore the project\u2019s original schedule<\/a> but that won\u2019t happen unless money can be found.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The video accurately notes that the school\u2019s student body is overwhelmingly black and brown<\/a>. However, its claim that the at-large council members \u201cvoted unanimously to take South Lake Elementary school out of the $14B capital improvement budget\u201d is inaccurate. The council voted to delay the project, not delete it. It remains in the capital budget<\/a> with a projected cost of $34.9 million. This is not the first time Nine Districts for MoCo has released a misleading video<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This claim is inaccurate.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The video was posted on YouTube by Reardon Sullivan, a member of the county Republican Party\u2019s central committee<\/a>. Republicans support the nine district group<\/a> because they believe such a structure might lead to a Republican county council seat<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The video appears below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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